Tag Archives: computing

Teaching Year 5-8 (Grades 4-7) Computing?
What about this as an option for you – “Magilogical”, a #HereBeDragons Card Game.

Chris Leach has created a card game, in a similar manner to the Top Trumps cards, to teach the basics of Logic Gates to students.

These types of ideas appeal to me, and from experience, to my students. Both in terms of the basic concept it is a novel way to present the topic, but also from the point of view of being related to something they are already aware of, i.e. this style of card game. It’s also good to see a method that means they are not just sat in front of a computer to learn about computing.

Will it require extra explanation and guidance from the teacher, yes of course. It will undoubtedly also require several run-throughs for the teacher to adapt the game to the students that they have in any class.

I can see it as a focus for Key Stage 2 students (Years 5 and 6 – Grades 4 and 5). However, as we are still in a transition phase (at my school anyway) from the change between ICT and Computing in Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9, Grades 6 to 8), I can also see that they would benefit during their unit on computer theory. In addition, I am certain that the IGCSE Computer Science students would like to play this as an introduction and/or revision.

So a novel card game with multiple audiences to aid the teaching of NOT/AND/OR/NOR/NAND and XOR)..

Chris used Kickstarter for the first batch, and as this was a success, is once again using this method to cover the cost of printing. As this is a private venture, this method ensures that if there is enough support the printing costs are covered, not leaving him out of pocket and scrambling around to sell enough sets to break even. With a small, starting idea like this, this would seem an excellent way to work. This project has a deadline of 22 March 2018, so not long to back it.

When I first saw this last week I thought “what a great idea!” then realised Chris was showing off the actual printed sets and so it was too late to back the first batch. Then I saw that there had been a few more enquiries into the game, and Chris had decided to launch a second round so I promptly backed it with a class set bundle.

Just in case anyone thinks this is a plug for Chris, it is, but I’ve never met him or have any connection with this project other than personally backing it. I just think it’s a good idea (as was his previous one, a “Here Be Dragons” book).

Well worth backing, and getting a set…

If you’re wondering wondering what the rules are, this is copied from the Kickstater page:

Rules

The youngest player selects whether to play as the Wizards or the Dragons. Each player receives their 16 Character Cards and holds them face up. The 16 Spell cards are placed in a pile face down on the table. Player One (Wizard) selects the top Spell Card and places it face up so the other player can see the spell.

If the Spell Card is the Spell of Not:

Wizard chooses one category from their card and one category from the Dragon’s card – the wizard must lose the round to win the battle.

If the Spell Card is the Spell of And:

Wizard chooses two categories from their card and two categories from the Dragon’s Card – the Wizard must win both rounds to win the battle.

If the Spell Card is the Spell of Or:

Wizard chooses two categories from their card and two categories from the Dragon’s Card – the Wizard must win one or both rounds to win the battle.

If the Spell Card is the Spell of Nor:

Wizard chooses two categories from their card and two categories from the Dragon’s Card – the Wizard must lose both rounds to win the battle.

If the Spell Card is the Spell of Nand:

Wizard chooses two categories from their card and two categories from the Dragon’s Card – the Wizard must lose one or both rounds to win the battle.

If the Spell Card is the Spell of Xor:

Wizard chooses two categories from their card and two categories from the Dragon’s Card – the Wizard must win one and lose one round to win the battle.

The losing card is placed on the Discard Pile. The Dragon now selects a spell. Repeat until either the Wizard or the Dragon has lost all their cards.

There are slight variations to the game:

Play with 8 cards each to shorten the game, or play until the Spell pile is exhausted – the player with most cards left wins.